More and more, homes and other buildings have their exteriors clad in either aluminum or vinyl siding. The advantages of such sidings include their attractive looks, low maintenance, weathertight integrity, low cost, and the fact that no routine exterior painting is required. Unfortunately, there are several disadvantages associated with vinyl or aluminum siding. Most notably, it is difficult to affix various fixtures and decorations to a building clad with such siding without piercing the siding (e.g., using screws, nails, etc.) or attaching something directly to the siding using an attachment material (e.g., adhesive, epoxy, tape, etc.). However, piercing the siding compromises the weathertight integrity of the siding so that the elements can reach the building's underlying structure, leaves unsightly holes in the siding should it be necessary to move or remove the external fixture, and leaves holes that are not easily repaired. Accordingly, the usual repair for pierced siding is to replace the pierced section with new siding even though it may be difficult or impossible to procure the exact replacement for the pierced siding or to match the color of the siding which has faded due to exposure to the elements.
While the use of attachment materials such as adhesives, epoxies, tape, etc., protects the integrity of the underlying building structure, these forms of attachment are prone to failure in outdoor environments. Furthermore, there is typically a residue left on the siding when the attachment material is removed. The residue can be difficult to remove and the removal process can aesthetically damage the siding.